Michael Porter Jr. vs Stephen Curry: who to start in Week 1
Michael Porter Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Stephen Curry 3. For that week alone, start Stephen Curry: 117.5 projected fantasy points to 116.8 for Michael Porter Jr.. Over the season, Stephen Curry leads in both formats: 39.2 fantasy points a game to 38.9, and 10th against 27th in 9-cat. The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 and 2026-27 box scores, not ADP.
Updated Oct 22, 4:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #34
- 38.9 FP/G, slot 3.10, $25
- 9-cat leagues
- #27
- +2.2 z, slot 3.03, $27
- Points leagues
- #33
- 39.2 FP/G, slot 3.09, $25
- 9-cat leagues
- #10
- +4.0 z, slot 1.10, $37
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Stephen Curry. 39.2 fantasy points per game against 38.9, 33rd on our board to 34th.
9-cat leagues: Stephen Curry again, +4.0 in summed z-scores against +2.2 (10th to 27th).
Category by category, Michael Porter Jr. is ahead in 2 (REB and TO) and Stephen Curry in 6 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Stephen Curry produces more: 46.6 fantasy points to 43.0, on 30.3 minutes a night against 32.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Michael Porter Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Stephen Curry 3. For that week alone, start Stephen Curry: 117.5 projected fantasy points to 116.8 for Michael Porter Jr..
Slots are where our board's order lands in a 12-team snake draft (round.pick), and dollars are auction value over replacement for 12 teams with $200 each. Neither is ADP: no free draft-position feed lets us republish it.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Michael Porter Jr. | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 38.9 | 39.2 |
| Minutes | 32.6 | 30.3 |
| PointsPTS | 24.3 | 26.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.1 | 3.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.9 | 4.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 3.5 | 4.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.4% | 46.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.8% | 92.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 52 | 43 |
Bold is the better number. The line blends 2025-26 with 2026-27 games as they are played, the same numbers the rankings use.
Per 36 minutes
| Per 36 | Michael Porter Jr. | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.0 | 46.6 |
| Points | 26.9 | 31.3 |
| Rebounds | 7.8 | 4.1 |
| Assists | 3.2 | 5.3 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 3.9 | 5.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 3.3 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Michael Porter Jr. | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.4 | +1.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.6 | -1.0 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | +0.4 |
| StealsSTL | +0.5 | +0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | +1.9 | +2.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.7 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | +2.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.8 | -1.2 |
| Total | +2.2 | +4.0 |
Each number is standard deviations above or below the top 156 players (a 12-team league's rosters). Field goal and free throw percentage are weighted by attempts, and turnovers count against.
If you punt a category
No punt changes the answer: Stephen Curry stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Michael Porter Jr. | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.7 (#41) | +2.2 (#16) |
| REB | +1.7 (#27) | +5.4 (#7) |
| AST | +2.4 (#19) | +3.4 (#11) |
| STL | +1.7 (#26) | +3.4 (#12) |
| BLK | +3.1 (#18) | +4.9 (#7) |
| 3PM | +0.1 (#58) | +1.1 (#36) |
| FG% | +3.1 (#20) | +5.3 (#7) |
| FT% | +1.3 (#33) | +1.6 (#30) |
| TO | +3.0 (#22) | +5.2 (#10) |
Value is the sum of the other eight z-scores, recomputed with the punted category left out of the pool that sets them; the rank is among all 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Michael Porter Jr.: 3 games (Wed CHA, Sat @CLE, Sun IND), 1 back-to-back.
- Stephen Curry: 3 games (Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Michael Porter Jr.: 36.3 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 38.9 on the board.
- Stephen Curry: 30.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 39.2 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Michael Porter Jr. playing tonight? · Is Stephen Curry playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Stephen Curry
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Michael Porter Jr. or Stephen Curry?
Points leagues: Stephen Curry. 39.2 fantasy points per game against 38.9, 33rd on our board to 34th. 9-cat leagues: Stephen Curry again, +4.0 in summed z-scores against +2.2 (10th to 27th).
Who wins more categories, Michael Porter Jr. or Stephen Curry?
Category by category, Michael Porter Jr. is ahead in 2 (REB and TO) and Stephen Curry in 6 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Michael Porter Jr. or Stephen Curry?
Michael Porter Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Stephen Curry 3. For that week alone, start Stephen Curry: 117.5 projected fantasy points to 116.8 for Michael Porter Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 4:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number